With this year’s Valentine’s Day officially done and dusted, the University of Connecticut has begun a slow creep towards the next major holiday: spring break.
For the average college student, spring break is one of the best times to be a teenage-something, twenty-something young adult. Without any pressing family and friend obligations, such as Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, that distant horizon of eventual adulthood freedom only seems to be getting closer.
Unfortunately, spring break only comes once a year, so it’s important to budget and spend your time wisely. Here are some suggestions and destinations so you can start planning your spring break before it gets too late.
For the New England resident
Spring break is all about location, and if you’re lucky enough to live in New England with friends who are also in New England, you should have an easy time setting up some spring break plans.
The first and easiest option, in my opinion, is a trip to the Cape. I know, I know — as someone who has lived in Massachusetts her whole life, I understand Cape Cod is a boring answer at this point. But come on, it’s so nice!
If you’re interested in taking a trip out to sea, I cannot recommend Provincetown enough. It’s well known for being a highly welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community, but it also comes with a host of bars, theaters, stores and plenty of street art. Coupled with a thriving community and a ton of street art, P-Town is the place to be.
My only suggestion? Be careful with your wallet. Like all Cape towns, Provincetown can reach some high price points very quickly. If you’re planning on staying in an Airbnb or a hotel or inn of some kind, keep an eye onwhere you go and how much you spend.
For going the distance
But sometimes local-ish isn’t quite enough for the ideal spring break adventure. If you’ve got some money to spend on a big trip, where could one go?
Florida is a popular spot, along with California and maybe some spots in the Carolinas. Although Connecticut is small but mighty, it’s easy to find one’s mind wandering towards sunnier places. If you’re that bored of regular college life, maybe it’s time for a more dramatic change in scenery?
In the event you have the money for plane tickets, a stand-out spring break spot that can provide tons of pictures would be a place like New Orleans — a unique local culture, music, art and drinking (if that’s your thing).
Another fun option that would lead to an interesting Instagram recap is taking a trip to a national park. I had the pleasure of visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon national parks a few years ago and I still think about returning. If any of these options intrigue you, Zion was my personal favorite.
For the stay-at-home student
But of course, at the end of the day, we’re all college students on a tight budget. However, there are still plenty of options aside from just sitting at home or working.
If you happen to live near some good hiking spots and have access to a car, taking advantage of the (hopefully) nice weather can be an excellent start. I haven’t properly been hiking in some time and one of my personal goals for this year is to get outside more. Give it a try!
Spring break can also be an excellent time to catch up on the hobbies you’ve left by the wayside in favor of completing homework or fulfilling that student-org-based obligation. I spent a good chunk of my winter break reading, after having mostly stepped back from books in favor of school and a livelier social life.
If you need a few recommendations, I’ve recently read “Hijab Butch Blues” by Lamya H and “Nerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse” by Maya Phillips. On my list, I have “Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson and “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
No matter how or where you spend your spring break, at least the people of UConn can all agree on one thing: It’s better than nothing!